The Prediction of Judas's Betrayal (Matthew 26:20–25; John 13:21–30)

The texts below are quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations; nothing is paraphrased.

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St. John Chrysostom (c. 347–407)

Homilies on the Gospel of John, Homily 72 (on John 13:21–30) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 14. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf114.iv.lxxiv.html

On why the Lord said "one of you" and so troubled the whole company:

By laying the whole upon one, Jesus would ... have cut short their fear, but by adding, "one of you," He troubled all.

On the sop given to Judas from the Lord's own hand:

He respected not the table, though he shared the bread; be it so; but the receiving the sop from His own hand, whom would not that have won over? yet him it won not.

On the traitor cast out once he was made manifest, so that the evil one seized him and he went forth by night:

It was not fitting to keep within one of such a character, and who so long had remained incorrigible. Wherefore He henceforth cast him out, and then that other seized him when cut off, and he leaving them went forth by night.

On the words "that thou doest, do quickly," spoken not as a command but as a reproach:

The "do quickly," is not the expression of one commanding, nor advising, but of one reproaching, and showing him that He desired to correct him, but that since he was incorrigible, He let him go.

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St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376–444)

Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 9 (on John 13:21–30) Source: trans. T. Randell, Library of Fathers, 1885. Public domain. Full text: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/cyril_on_john_09_book9.htm

On the disciples' twofold alarm as each searched his own conscience:

Terror and dread at once thrill the hearts of the disciples, and they glance one at another, being filled with a twofold alarm at the words uttered.

On the sop that marked out the one who ate the Lord's bread:

For when He has dipped the sop, He gives it to Judas, thereby showing who it was that was eating His bread.

On the betrayer who had once been a familiar friend at the same board:

For there was a time when even the traitor himself was a companion and a familiar friend to the Saviour, eating at the same board with Him, and sharing in everything that is reckoned to denote true discipleship

On "and it was night," the darkness of the betrayer's own soul:

So with his soul sunk in a night of its own, and darkened by a gloom-bringing ... swarm of unholy thoughts, he falls headlong into the abyss of Hades as into a trap

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Origen of Alexandria (c. 185–254)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 26:23–24) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xxvi.html

(Some of Origen's later speculations were condemned in 553; he is quoted here only where he expounds the plain sense of the text.)

On "woe unto that man ... through whom the Son of man is betrayed":

He said not, By whom "the Son of Man is betrayed," but "through whom," ... pointing out another, to wit the Devil, as the author of His betrayal, Judas as the minister.

On the goodness of the disciples, who trusted the Lord's word above their own hearts:

This also shews the goodness of the disciples, that they believed Christ's words more than their own consciences

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Blessed Augustine of Hippo (354–430)

Tractates on the Gospel of John, Tractates 61 and 62 (on John 13:21–31) Source: trans. in the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 7. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf107.iii.lxii.html

On "one of you," which is true in number but not in merit (Tractate 61):

"One of you," in number, not in merit; in appearance, not in reality; in bodily commingling, not by any spiritual tie; a companion by fleshly juxtaposition, not in any unity of the heart; and therefore not one who is of you, but one who is to go forth from you.

On the sop that disclosed the traitor, a good thing received to his own hurt (Tractate 61):

The traitor was disclosed, the coverts of darkness were revealed. What he got was good, but to his own hurt he received it, because, evil himself, in an evil spirit he received what was good.

On why the good bread turned to harm, the receiver and not the gift (Tractate 62):

For the point of special importance is, not the thing that is received, but the person that receives it; and not the character of the thing that is given, but of him to whom it is given.

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St. Jerome (c. 347–420)

Commentary on Matthew (on Matthew 26:21–24) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xxvi.html

On the Lord's wonderful endurance as He named the traitor more closely, yet not by name:

O wonderful endurance of the Lord, He had said before, "One of you shall betray me." The traitor perseveres in his wickedness; He designates him more particularly, yet not by name.

On the woe foretold once long-suffering had failed to correct him:

Judas, not withheld by either the first or second warning, perseveres in his treachery; the Lord's long-suffering nourishes his audacity. Now then his punishment is foretold, that denunciations of wrath may correct where good feeling has no power.

On "it had been good for that man if he had not been born":

it simply implies that it is better not to be, than to be in evil.

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St. Leo the Great (c. 400–461)

Sermon 58 (on Matthew 26:21) As preserved in the Catena Aurea on Matthew. Public domain. Full text: https://www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena1.ii.xxvi.html

On the Lord's refusal to shame the traitor openly, that penitence might yet find a way:

He shews that the conscience of His betrayer was known to Him, not meeting his wickedness with a harsh and open rebuke, that penitence might find a readier way to one who had not been disgraced by public dismissal.